JPH0276762A - Image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the efficiency of editing operation by reading copy data of the same image but varying a size or copy data of the same size but different images, storing image information, deciding any appropriate format for the size of a photosensitive material. CONSTITUTION:Images of varying size and different orientation and shape are read by a reading device 15 and this image information is transmitted to data bus 228. A controller 238 drives a memory controller 234 to allow the image information to be stored in a specified address. A host computer 232 decides a format suited to the preset size of a photosensitive material and controls a controller 238. The controller 238 reads the image information according to a format and transmits it to a color correction calculation circuit 242. The color correction calculation circuit 242 supplies the optical intensity if each pixel to an exposure control circuit 244 to control semiconductor lasers 251, 252, 253.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that exposes a photosensitive material to three-color light signals to obtain a color image.

[Conventional technology]

As an image recording material, heat-developable photosensitive materials are well known in this technical field, and for information on heat-developable photosensitive materials and their processes, see, for example, Basics of Photographic Engineering Non-Silver Salt Photography Edition (Published by Corona Publishing, 1982), pages 242 to 255. , April 1978 issue video information page 40, Neblett's Handbook of Photography (Neblett's tlandbo)
OK of Photography andRepr
ography) 7th Edition (7th Ed,) 77n Nostrant Reinhold Company (V
anNostrand Re1nhold Compa
ny), pages 32-33.

Furthermore, many methods have been proposed for obtaining color images by heat development.

For example, releasing a mobile dye in an image-like manner by heating,
A method of transferring this mobile dye to a dye fixing material with a mordant using a solvent such as water, a method of transferring it to a dye fixing material using a high boiling point organic solvent, a method of transferring this mobile dye to a dye fixing material using a hydrophilic thermal solvent incorporated in the dye fixing material A method in which the mobile dye is heat-diffusible or sublimable and is transferred to a dye-receiving material such as a support has been proposed. (U.S. Patent Nos. 4,463,079 and 4,474°867)
No. 4,478,927, No. 4゜507.38
No. 0, JP-A-58-149046, JP-A No. 58-1490
No. 47, No. 51-152440, No. 59-15444
No. 5, No. 59-165054, No. 59-180548
No. 51-168439, No. 59-174832, No. 59-174833, No. 59-174834,
59-174835, etc.) As an apparatus for carrying out this type of image forming method, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-75247, an exposure head is used in an exposure section to produce a thermally developable photosensitive image. After exposing the color image to the material, it is sent to the heat development section,
An image forming apparatus has been proposed in which an image-receiving material is brought into close contact with a heat-developable photosensitive material after heat development, and the image is sent to a transfer section, where the image is thermally transferred to the image-receiving material.

Furthermore, an image forming apparatus has been proposed in which an image forming solvent is applied to at least one of a photosensitive material and an image-receiving material, and then the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material are overlapped to simultaneously perform thermal development and thermal transfer.

The image recording apparatus is used in a wide variety of ways, and is not limited to simple usage such as recording a large number of the same images. For example, there is a usage method in which a plurality of images of different sizes are edited and recorded on one sheet of photosensitive material.

In this case, if the effective scanning width of the device is constant or the width of the photosensitive material is constant, the following method was used to record images at high speed without wasting the photosensitive material. .

In other words, the operator considers the arrangement, or the host computer determines the optimal arrangement, arranges the images and arranges them in a format suitable for recording, and then supplies that image information to the exposure unit to record the image. Ta.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, the method in which the operator considers the arrangement etc. is very time-consuming.

On the other hand, with the method of using a host computer, if there are many images of the same size, or if the same image has different sizes, it is necessary to temporarily store each image and perform the formatting. A huge memory capacity must be provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus that can perform high-speed image editing without increasing the memory load on a host computer.

[Means and Effects for Solving the Problems] The above object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that exposes a photosensitive material with three color light signals to obtain a color image, in which image recording is performed based on image information included in the light signals. recording condition setting means for determining the size, direction, and arrangement of the time; storage means for individually storing the image information included in the plurality of optical signals; and storage means for storing the image information in the storage means and the stored image. This is achieved by an image recording apparatus provided with a storage/read control means for controlling reading of information, and an image information supply means for supplying the read image information to the image recording means in synchronization with the operation of the image recording means.

In other words, the image signal obtained by reading the original is
It is stored in the storage means via the storage reading means. On the other hand, the recording condition setting means consisting of a host computer determines the recording direction, recording position, etc. from the image information,
The image information read from the storage means is transmitted to the exposure section, which is the image recording means, in accordance with the direction and arrangement determined by the recording condition setting means.

Therefore, editing at the time of image recording can be easily performed without increasing the memory circuit of the host computer.

The photosensitive materials used in the present invention include the following.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 57-1798 related to the applicant's application
There is a type of photosensitive material disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 36 in which a polymerizable compound is imagewise cured by imagewise exposure, and then layered with an image-receiving material and pressure is applied to obtain a visible image. This photosensitive material has a synthetic polymer resin wall capsule containing a vinyl compound, a photopolymerization initiator, and a colorant precursor supported on a support.

Another example is a type in which a latent image generated by imagewise exposure is subjected to preliminary heat development or wet development, and then the image-receiving material is overlapped with pressure to obtain a visible image. Examples of such materials include Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1983-1999 filed by the present applicant.
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 278849. The material disclosed in JP-A No. 61-278849 is a material in which a color image-forming substance is transferred to an image-receiving material having an image-receiving layer after thermal development to obtain an image on the image-receiving material. is coated with at least a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, a polymerizable compound, and a color image-forming substance, and at least the polymerizable compound and the color image-forming substance are encapsulated in the same microcapsule.

Another example is a so-called heat-developable photosensitive material in which an image obtained by thermal development is transferred to an image-receiving material by heating. In this light-sensitive material, a mobile dye is released in an image-like manner by heating, and the mobile dye is transferred to an image-receiving material (dye-fixing material) having a mordant using a solvent such as water; Transfer to the image-receiving material is performed using a high-boiling organic solvent, transfer is performed to the image-receiving material using a hydrophilic thermal solvent built into the image-receiving material, or the mobile dye is heat-diffusible or sublimable and the support is There are known methods that transfer to dye-receiving materials such as bodies, etc., and specifically, US Pat.・No. 463,079, No. 4.4
No. 74,867, No. 4,478.927, No. 4,
No. 507.380, No. 4,500,626, No. 4
, No. 483,914, JP-A No. 58-149046, No. 58-149047, No. 59-152440, No. 5
No. 9-154445, No. 59-165054, No. 59
-180548, 59-168439, 59-
17°4832, 59-174833, 59-
It is disclosed in No. 174834, No. 59-174835, etc.

Further, the image forming solvent includes, for example, water, and this water is not limited to so-called pure water, but includes water in the widely conventional sense. Also, pure water, methanol, DMF1
A mixed solvent with a low boiling point solvent such as acetone or diisobutyl ketone may be used. Furthermore, a solution containing an image formation accelerator, an antifoggant, a development stopper, a hydrophilic heat solvent, etc. may also be used.

[Embodiment]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus.

In this embodiment, the photosensitive material is of a type that requires a heat development step and in which an image is transferred and formed on an image-receiving material having an image-receiving layer in the presence of an image-forming solvent such as water. .

Inside the housing 12 constituting the image recording device, there is a photosensitive material supply section 13 that stores the photosensitive material A, an image reading section 15 that reads image information carried on the document S, and a latent image formed on the photosensitive material A. An exposure section 16, a water application section 17 that applies water to the photosensitive material A, and an image receiving paper C to the photosensitive material A.
A superimposing section 19 for superimposing the photosensitive material A and the image receiving paper C, a heat development transfer section 21 for performing heat treatment on the photosensitive material A and the image receiving paper C, and a peeling section 23 for separating the image receiving paper C from the photosensitive material A are provided, respectively.

A transparent document support glass plate 14 on which a document S is placed is arranged on the upper surface of the housing 12, and the image reading section 15 is arranged below this document support glass plate 14. That is, the image reading unit 15 includes a light source 18 that integrally scans the entire surface of the document support glass plate 14, a mirror 20a, an I-image lens/filter unit/light receiving element assembly 30, an image processing device 200, an exposure device 300, and A mirror 20b that moves in the same direction by a scanning distance A of the light source 18 and the like.

20c, which are surrounded by a partition wall 22,
Optically isolated from other parts. However, in this case, the partition wall 22 has an exposure opening 3 related to the exposure section 16 of the photosensitive material A in a portion through which the light emitted from the exposure device 300 passes.
4 is defined, and a shutter device 35 and a shutter control device 36 are arranged in the exposure opening 34 .

Further, a standard white plate 302 is provided near the document support glass plate 14 so as to be exposed to the light source 18.

On the other hand, the photosensitive material supply section 13 is provided on the left side of the housing 12 and is kept light-tight. This photosensitive material supply section 13 is loaded with a removable photosensitive material magazine 54 in which photosensitive material A is wound.

The photosensitive material supply section 13 has roller pairs 56a to 56d for conveying the photosensitive material from the magazine 54 to the exposure section 16. In this case, roller pair 56a.

A cutter 58 for cutting the photosensitive material A into predetermined lengths is provided between the cutters 56b. Further, the exposure table 60 disposed between the roller pair 56C256d faces the exposure opening 34 defined on the bottom surface of the partition wall 22 surrounding the image reading section 15.

In front of the exposure section 16 (hereinafter, "front" refers to the downstream side with respect to the traveling direction of the photosensitive material, etc.) is provided with a conveyance path consisting of a pair of rollers 56e and a guide plate.

The exposure section 16 subjects the photosensitive material to imagewise exposure to form a latent image, and the photosensitive material A on which the latent image is formed is conveyed to the water application section 17 via the conveyance path.

The water application section 17 is for facilitating the transfer of the latent image formed on the photosensitive material A, and is composed of a pair of rollers 56f1, a pair of squeeze rollers 176, a guide plate 172, and a water tank 174. Then, the water tank 174 is filled with water, and the photosensitive material A is transported while being immersed in the water.

The photosensitive material A coated with water is squeezed by a pair of squeeze rollers 176.
It is conveyed to the overlapping section 19 by.

On the other hand, on the right side of the housing 12, a receiving paper supply section 41 for supplying the receiving paper C is provided. The image receiving paper supply section 4
1 is a receiving paper magazine 43 that stores rolled receiving paper C;
is loaded. The image receiving paper C in the magazine 43 is transferred to the roller pair 5.
6h, and cut into a predetermined length by a cutter 44 disposed in front of the pair of rollers 56h.

The cut image-receiving paper C is conveyed to the overlapping section 19 by a pair of rollers 561.

In front of the overlapping part 19, the overlapping photosensitive materials A
A heating development transfer section 21 is provided which heats the image receiving paper C, develops the latent image on the photosensitive material A, and transfers it onto the image receiving paper C.

The heat development transfer section 21 is surrounded by a heat-insulating partition wall 62, and is wound around a hollow cylindrical heating drum 74 containing a halogen lamp 72 at an angle of about 270 degrees around the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 74. It includes an endless belt 84 supported by four belt support rollers 76, 77, 78° 80, and heats the photosensitive material A and the image receiving paper C in a superposed state. By this heating, the photosensitive material A
The upper latent image is developed and transferred onto the image receiving paper C to develop color.

A peeling section 23 is provided within the partition wall 62, and the peeling section 23 includes a first peeling claw 232 for peeling the photosensitive material A from the image receiving paper C, and a first peeling claw 232 for peeling the image receiving paper C from the heating drum 74. It consists of two peeling claws 234 and a roller 56j that discharges the image receiving paper C to the outside of the partition wall 62.

In front of one side of the heat development transfer section 21, there is a waste tray 118 for discarding the heated photosensitive material A peeled from the image receiving paper C by the peeling claw 232, and a roller pair 56k for supplying the photosensitive material into the waste tray 118. will be provided. The waste tray 118 is provided below the heat development transfer section 21 .

Further, in front of the other side of the heat development transfer section 21, there is a take-out tray 120 that accommodates the heated image-receiving paper C, and roller pairs 56β, 56m, 5 that transport the heated image-receiving paper C to the take-out tray 120.
6n is provided, and the image-receiving paper C on which the image has been transferred is led out to the take-out tray 120.

Further, a color density detection unit 124 for detecting the color density of the image on the image receiving paper C is arranged between the pair of rollers 56m and 561. The color density detection unit 124 includes an illumination device 126 that illuminates the image surface of the image receiving paper C, and a color photosensor 128 that receives reflected light from the image receiving paper C due to this illumination.

This device further includes a color density control unit 150 connected to the imaging lens/filter unit/light receiving element assembly 30 and the photosensor 128 and disposed at an appropriate location within the housing 12; )1'5Q,
Photosensitive material supply section 13, image reading section I5, image reading section I5
drive system (not shown), cutter 44.58, shutter control device 36, water application section 17, heat development transfer section 21,
A system control device (not shown) connected to the peeling section 23 and controlling the entire device is provided.

Next, editing operations for multiple images will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an exposure path and a control path from the image reading section 15 to the exposure section 16.

The imaging lens/filter unit/light receiving element assembly 30 includes a liquid crystal filter unit 151 arranged in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis 32, as shown in FIG.
Imaging lens 152, CCD sensor 154 that performs photoelectric conversion
It is made up of.

The liquid crystal filter unit 151 is divided into three color areas as shown in FIG. 3, and is rotated at a constant high speed by a drive device (not shown). Then, the light from the mirror 20C is divided into three colors, and the continuously time-divided light of each color sequentially illuminates the CCD sensor 154.

CCD sensor I54 scanning and filter unit 15
1 rotation, and for each scan, a certain 1 rotation is synchronized with the rotation of 1.
By configuring the CCD sensor 154 to be irradiated with colored light, three color signals of R, G, and B can be sequentially read out as shown in FIG. 4.

Then, a continuous signal that changes in an analog manner is obtained by photoelectric conversion from the CCD sensor 154, and the continuous signal is supplied to an A/D conversion circuit 222 constituting the next-stage image processing device 200. The successive signals digitized by the A/D conversion circuit 222 are supplied to an edge enhancement circuit 224, and deterioration in the spatial frequency response caused by the imaging lens 152 and CCD sensor 154 is corrected.

The output signal of contour enhancement circuit 224 is communicated to data bus 228 via readout interface 226 .

The data bus 228 includes a host interface 2.
A host convenience store 232 is connected via 30 so that data can be exchanged. The host computer 232 corresponds to the recording condition setting means in the present invention, and determines the direction and arrangement of the recorded image based on the image information of the output signal.

The data bus 228 also includes a memory controller 234.
through memory circuits 236a, 236b.

236C is connected so that data can be exchanged. The memory circuits 236a to 236c correspond to storage means in the present invention, and sequentially store the spectroscopic image information.

Further, the controller 238, together with the memory controller 234, controls the storage and reading of image information in the memory circuits 236a to 236c, and corresponds to storage and reading control means in the present invention. Note that the controller 238 is composed of a CPU, and is configured to perform the above operations according to predetermined steps.

The printer interface 240 supplies edited image information to the color correction calculation circuit 242, and the exposure control circuit 244 drives the light emitting elements provided in the exposure device 300, which corresponds to image recording means in the present invention, to emit light. It is something to do.

Next, the editing operation will be explained.

For example, assume that the reading device 15 reads images of different sizes as shown as A, B, C, D, E, and F in FIG.

Image information including the size, orientation, image shape, etc. of the images A-F is photoelectrically converted by the path and transmitted to the data bus 228.

The controller 238 drives the memory controller 234 to send image information corresponding to each image to each memory circuit 236.
It is stored in a predetermined address of a to 236C.

Further, the host computer 232 determines a format suitable for the preset size of the photosensitive material A (for example, A4 size), and based on the result, the controller 232
Control 38.

Then, the controller 238 is the memory controller 2
34, and the read image information is transmitted to the color correction calculation circuit 242 via the interface 240.

The color correction calculation circuit 242 obtains an exposure signal for controlling the exposure amount of each pixel, and the exposure signal is sent to the exposure control circuit 24.
4.

The exposure control circuit 244 controls the exposure device 30 in response to the exposure signal.
The light emitting element shown within 0, that is, the semiconductor laser 251,
252 and 253 are controlled.

As a result, the semiconductor lasers 251 to 253 emit light in response to the exposure signal, and the photosensitive material A is exposed to light beams consisting of a set of three colors.

The light with a wavelength of 425 nm emitted by the SHG element 257 is shaped through a collimator lens 260, and is shaped by a guichroic mirror 263 that passes red and green light and reflects blue light.
is reflected toward the polygon mirror 270.

The aforementioned three wavelengths of light pass through the same optical path 264, are reflected by a polygon mirror 270, pass through an fθ lens 280, are further reflected by a mirror 290, and reach the photosensitive material A.

Then, as the polygon mirror 270 rotates around the axis 271, the image light scans the photosensitive material A for exposure, and as the photosensitive material operator moves in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the laser beam, the photosensitive material A An image is formed on top.

The above exposure is performed based on image information obtained by editing images A to F shown in FIG. Therefore, the images A to D are arranged and exposed on the photosensitive material A so as to fit within the A4 size, as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible.

For example, instead of the semiconductor laser, an LED array, 1
Exposure may be performed using a dimensional CRT, a fluorescent display tube, an EL device, a liquid crystal light valve, or the like.

Furthermore, instead of using the original, the same image recording as described above can be performed by separating the light transmitted through a negative film and a positive film into three colors.

Further, the reading of the manuscript may be performed by driving a plurality of reading devices in parallel, and in this case, the efficiency of the editing work can be greatly improved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The image recording device of the present invention reads originals with the same image but different sizes, or originals with the same size but different images, and stores image information included in each read signal.
Determine the format according to the size of the photosensitive material, etc.
Since the format is configured to determine the optimum arrangement during exposure, a plurality of images can be exposed without creating wasted space on the photosensitive material. Also,
Since the work of determining the arrangement of a plurality of images is performed by, for example, a host computer, the work is performed at a higher speed than manual work, and the efficiency of editing work can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the image recording device, Fig. 2 is an exposure path diagram, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the filter, Fig. 4 is a time-lapse correspondence diagram of the filter and CCD sensor, and Fig. 5 is a diagram of multiple images. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the configuration, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing editing of multiple images. Symbols in the figure: IO Image forming device 12 Housing 13 Photosensitive material supply section 14 Document support glass plate 15 Image reading section 17
Water application section 18 - Light source 19 Overlapping section 21 Heat development transfer section 23 Peeling section 30 Assembly 32 - Optical axis 34 Opening 35 Shutter 36/shutter control device 41 - Image receiving paper supply section 43 Image receiving paper magazine 44.58 Cutter 54 material magazines 56a to 56n roller pair 60 exposure table 72 halogen lamp 74 heating drum 76, . 77.
78.80 Belt support roller 84 Endless belt 118 Waste tray 120 Take-out tray 124 Color density detection unit 126 Lighting device 128
Color photo sensor 150 Color density control unit 172 Guide plate 174 Water tank 176
Squeeze roller 224 Exposure control circuit 226, '230, 240 Interface 228
Data bus 232 Host computer 234 Memory controllers 236a to 236c Memory circuit 238 Controller 242 Color correction calculation circuits 251 to 253 Semiconductor laser 302 White plate A Photosensitive material C Receiving paper Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. Time Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an image forming apparatus that exposes a photosensitive material using three-color light signals to obtain a color image, the image forming apparatus includes a recording condition setting means for determining the size, direction, and arrangement during image recording based on image information included in the light signals; storage means for individually storing the image information included in the optical signal; storage and readout control means for causing the storage means to store the image information and controlling readout of the stored image information; An image recording device comprising image information supply means for supplying image information to the image recording means in synchronization with the operation of the means.